One of the premier vaccine producing units in the country, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, which supplied a significant share of the vaccines for the national immunisation programme has been functioning for more than a decade without even half the posts for senior scientists, medical personnel or senior administrative staff ever being filled up.

| TNN | Mar 30, 2013, 12.08 PM IST

CRI (Kasauli) along with Pasteur Institute of India, Coonoor supplied over 90% of DPT vaccine doses for the u... Read More

NEW DELHI: One of the premier vaccine producing units in the country, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, which supplied a significant share of the vaccines for the national immunisation programme has been functioning for more than a decade without even half the posts for senior scientists, medical personnel or senior administrative staff ever being filled up. This was revealed through an RTI application filed on the status of staff strength in the institute since 2000 which revealed the systematic neglect of the institute by the health ministry that crippled the institution. Director of the institute Dr Sunil Gupta when contacted said that many of the posts had lapsed as they had not been filled in time. "We have initiated the process of revival and proposals have been sent to the health ministry repeatedly over more than a year. The senior level posts have to be filled up through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC); we have also written to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the Finance Ministry. The files keep coming back with queries, but nothing has happened so far," said Dr Gupta.

CRI Kasauli along with the Pasteur Institute of India, Coonoor, another government vaccine production unit, supplied over 90% of DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) vaccine doses and over 80% of tetanus toxoid vaccine for the universal immunization programme of the country till 2006-07, a little before they were shut down on the plea that they did not adhere to good manufacturing practices (GMP). This was despite the fact that none of the vaccines were ever found deficient in quality. Once the supply shifted to the private sector, the price of vaccines more than doubled from Rs 12 to Rs 28 per vial of DPT vaccine and from Rs 6 to Rs 15 per vial of Tetanus toxoid vaccine. This move to shut down government units producing vaccines was sharply criticised by the parliamentary standing committee on health and family welfare which observed that it was the government's responsibility to invest in its own institutes.

Of the total sanctioned grade A level posts in the institute, including medical directors, senior scientists and veterinary officers, not only have the number of posts never been increased, not even 40% of the existing posts were filled in the last decade, except in December 2012 when 45% posts were filled. In grade B gazetted level posts, which includes engineers, accounts officers and administrators, less than 70% of the sanctioned posts have been filled. However, group B non-gazetted officer grade and group C and D grade posts have been filled to over 90% of the sanctioned posts.

"It is more difficult to find people at the senior level who are willing to come to a remote place like Kasauli to work. Even those who get posted try and get transferred out. It's easier to fill the lower level posts, mostly from among locals," said Dr Gupta. However, RTI activist, Dr K V Babu who extracted the information about staff strength pointed out that no concerted effort to address the staffing problem for more than a decade could "only imply deliberate government neglect which led to the unit's shut down in 2008, a windfall for the private vaccine manufacturers".

Vaccine production is highly specialised work and often the best personnel from these institutes have been poached by the private sector which offers better working conditions. "If we want to attract the best talent we will have to offer better incentives like a hardship allowance. Even the officials hired on contract are staying here without their families who have stayed back in Delhi. They have the extra cost of maintaining two establishments. These aspects, along with better avenues for professional and academic growth, have to be considered if we expect these institutes to be restored to their former glory," explained Dr Gupta who is himself staying alone in Kasauli while his family stays in Delhi.

CRI Kasauli- staff strength in different categories

Year

Total posts A

Vacant posts A

Total posts B*

Vacant posts B

Total posts C

Vacant posts C

Total posts D

Vacant posts D

2000

49

31

10

5

223

18

524

22

2005

51

34

9

4

229

22

522

83

2010

50

32

7

2

213

21

430

61

2012#

51

28

16

6

213

26

430

106

*Gazetted officers#For A and B categories data is of December 2012, for C and D data is of January 2012

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